Apr 22, 2016 How to fit snap fasteners and the different types Snap fasteners are used all over the world in a multitude of industries, but we are going to talk about the boating end of the market where the Durable DOT brand is a world leader. With the right tools the durable DOT snap fastener is self piercing and can penetrate through tough materials without the need of a hole pre cut. They have consistent snap action time after time. There are many different types of snap fasteners so below I will briefly try and describe each one. First up we have the snap fastener cap. The cap comes in various lengths. When I say lengths, I talk about the cylindrical post length that protrudes from the centre of the cap. We tend to stock a 4mm long and a 6mm long. This should cover 99% of material thickness. If you have a few layers of material then you would want to use the 6mm. Other wise use the 4mm The cap would not be complete with out the socket. These two are crimped together to create a snap. The cap being on the outside of the canvas and the socket on the inside. Special tools are require to secure the cap to the socket. The snap fastener stud. This particular stud has two main uses. 1. It can be attached to the deck with a screw or nut and threaded screw which can be then connected straight to the cap and socket. 2. It can be crimped to a "post" (below) and used to connect canvas to canvas. The cap and socket would be on one piece of material and the stud and post would be on another piece of material The post is really only used to attach to a stud. To create a point on a piece of canvas where you can then snap a cap and socket onto. Snap fastener screw stud We stock this particular fastener in two lengths. 3/8" and 5/8" threads. Before fitting , simply drill a small pilot hole and then this fastener should self tap into most materials. If screwing into steel, personally I would use the stud above and tap the steel first and buy a machine threaded screw to use with the stud above. Snap fastener windscreen clip. These fasteners also come in two sizes. 3/4" 19mm or 7/8" 22mm. They snap onto the alu frame around some speed boats and wind shields. No need for drilling, just clip on. YKK snad fastener stud. 25mm base self adhesive. This stud is perfect for attaching to surfaces that are not exactly flat. They can also attach to curved frame work. Simply by cleaning the surface and peeling back the red backing. It will stick straight to any surface. YKK snad fastener self adhesive stud 40mm white domed. This stud is for flat surfaces. Used a lot on caravan wheel arch covers. The great thing about snap fasteners is that they do no have any pointed edges or stick out much went the covers are off. Meaning you can stand on, lean against then with out it being painful. Our cheapest little tool kit. Great for fitting a few snaps. I wouldnt want to fit more than 30 or 40 with them tho. The little tool on the top cuts the holes and the tool on the bottom closes the cap against the socket and the post against the stud. This snap fastener closing tool is an upgrade to the tools above. Just a closing tool this time. Being 3 - 4 times as long and heavy it makes a better job of closing the cap and socket. The only tool in the world to perfectly close the socket and cap together. Simply attach the socket to the nipple of this tool and the cap into the rubber bung. No need for cutting holes, just insert you canvas between the two fasteners attached to the tool and squeeze. Jobs a good'n! This tool is expensive for the end user wanting to attach a few snaps so we also offer a hire on the tool. All these fasteners and tools can be found in our shop. In this blog I will talk about the various different types of snap fasteners and how to fit each one. First of all we will familiarise ourselves with the correct terminology. So the main types of snap fasteners are the cap, the socket, the post and the stud. The stud can often come with a screw already attached like in the first picture. Like many canopy manufacturers we tend to sell and recommend the DOT brand fastener. Scovill in the US have been around for years and the most common material is brass nickel plated snaps. They are very good with marine environment. We also sell a 304 stainless range. Fitting a cap and socket also a post and stud 1. Here I have four cards of canvas, our 3 piece snap fastener tool set , a cap, socket, post and stud. 2. Take the hole cutting hole and simply strike with a hammer to create a hole. Use a piece or wood under the canvas for support and a cleaner cut. 3. Insert the cap through the hole 4.Turn over the canvas 5. Place the socket onto the cap with the flat side against the canvas 6. Using the closing / setting tool strike again with a hammer several times until the post is crimped against the inside of the socket 7. Cap should be fully crimped for a nice tight fit ***** The cap and socket are now ready to attach to a stud ***** To attach canvas to canvas then you will need a post and a stud (without screw) 8. Again cut a hole in the canvas and insert the post through the hole 9. Place the stud over the post 10. Strike the closing / setting tool with a hammer until the post is crimped tight 11. The post and stud are now ready 12. You can attach the cap and socket from 1-7 with the post and stud 8-12. If you require 3 pieces of canvas to join then you can use a gypsy stud. Using a similar technique as before we are using a gypsy stud and a socket this time. Once fitted, this part of canvas will attach between the cap and socket and the post and stud. Or you can use the gypsy stud to attached two pieces of canvas to one screw stud. We also sell studs that require no holes to be drilled. They are our YKK snad fastener range. They come in 2 types. 40mm white domed stud for flat surfaces or the 25mm clear flexi stud for curved surfaces. YKK self adhesive snad fasteners are very popular on caravans in particular the wheel covers. They can be attached around the wheel cover without drilling and have no pointy edges that would catch or snag. Complete with a couple of snap fasteners they would make light work of holding up a wheel cover in the exact position you require. Simply attach two snap fasteners (cap and socket) in each corner of you wheel cover then connect the snad fastener studs to the corners and peel of the self adhesive backing. Then just stick then were you require. Here are a few more ideas for our snad fastener range. All the fasteners mentioned above can be found in our shop.
